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Workers Compensation Specialist

Department of Justice
Justice, Bureau of Prisons/Federal Prison System

Summary

Corrections professionals who foster a humane and secure environment and ensure public safety by preparing individuals for successful reentry into our communities.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
12/03/2025 to 12/24/2025
Salary
$80,381 to - $104,491 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 11
Location
Fort Worth, TX
3 vacancies
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Occasional travel - Travel may be required for training and/or work related issues.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
Yes—Reimbursement is authorized for travel and transportation for this position.
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
11
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
Yes
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
CO-2026-0036
Control number
851519300

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

• Current Federal Employees nationwide • Former Federal Employees (Reinstatement Eligible) • Surplus and Displaced (CTAP or ICTAP) Federal Employees in the local commuting area • Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA) • Current and Former Land Management Eligibles under Public Law 114-47 • Military Spouse under Executive Order 13832 • Division: Occupational & Employee Health Branch, Operations Branch, Health Services Division, Central Office, Washington DC • Duty Location: FMC Fort Worth, TX

Duties

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Serves as the initial point of contact for all Office of Workers’ Compensation Program (OWCP) claims submitted from the field.

Provides technical advice and assistance to managers and claimants Bureau-wide on the full range of OWCP issues.

Explains rules and procedures to claimants to help them understand their full rights, options, and obligations.

Consults with Staffing, Labor/Employee Relations, Equal Employment Opportunity Specialists, Centralized Workers’ Compensation Unit’s medical advisor, claimants’ physicians, and Department of Labor (DOL) personnel to develop a comprehensive and/or integrated approach for addressing/resolving case issues.

Reviews new claims to determine nature of claim and adherence to current guidelines, regulations, and polices.

Performs extensive research and fact-finding, analysis of results and application of appropriate regulations, policies and appeals board decisions in preparing documents.

Along with all other correctional institution employees, incumbent is charged with responsibility for maintaining security of the institution. The staff correctional responsibilities precede all others required by this position and is performed on a regular and recurring basis.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship is Required.
  • See Special Conditions of Employment Section.

Career Transition Programs (CTAP or ICTAP): These programs apply to Federal and/or DOJ employees who meet the definition of surplus or displaced from a position in the competitive service. To receive selection priority for this position, you must:

  • 1. Meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria;
  • 2. Be rated well-qualified for the position with a score of 85 or above based on scoring at least half of the total possible points for the vacancy KSAs or competencies; and
  • 3. Submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility.

NOTE: Applicants claiming CTAP/ICTAP eligibility must complete all assessment questions to be rated under the established ranking criteria.

Qualifications

To be considered for the position, you must meet the following qualification requirements.

Education

Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, OR 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate leading to such a degree, OR LL.M., if related.

Graduate education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position.

OR

Experience

You must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and complexity to the next lower grade level. To be creditable, this experience must have equipped the applicant with the particular qualifications to perform successfully the duties of the position, and must typically be in or related to the position to be filled.

Some examples of this qualifying experience are:

  • Experience in applying the Federal Employee Compensation Act (FECA) regulations, practices, and procedures relative to the Workers’ Compensation Program and advising managers and employees regarding various options, rights, and requirements.
  • Experience in providing technical guidance and consultative services to management and employees associated with the Workers’ Compensation Program.
  • Experience reviewing claims, determining the nature of claims and adherence to current guidelines, regulations, and policies.

OR

Combination of Education and Experience

Combinations of successfully completed post high school education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements. Only graduate education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level may be used to qualify applicants for this position. AND

Quality Ranking Factors: The quality ranking factors are preferred. Therefore, applicants who possess the quality ranking factors can be ranked above those who do not, but no candidates can be rated ineligible solely for failure to possess a quality ranking factor. Insert the Quality Ranking Factor that matches the SF39 approved by HSD. Applicants who possess the following are preferred:

  • Training: "Advanced OWCP Case Management Training" (Certificate of Completion is required), and
  • Knowledge: Federal Employee Compensation Act (FECA) regulations, and
  • Experience: Claims processing and management, and proficient using Department Labor’s Employees’ Compensation Operations and Management Portal (ECOMP) and Agency Query System (AQS).

Note: Applicants MUST clearly address these factors in their resume and MUST upload any supporting documentation/certifications at the time you apply If applicable, credit will be given for paid and unpaid experience. To receive proper credit, you must show the actual time (such as the number of hours worked per week) spent in activities.

**Your eligibility for consideration will be based on your responses to the questions in the application.**

Education

See Qualifications Section for education requirements, if applicable.

ONLY if education is a requirement/substitution for specialized experience, applicant MUST upload legible transcripts as verification of educational requirement. Transcripts MUST be uploaded and electronically linked from USAJOBS at the time you apply and MUST include identifying information to include School Name, Student Name, Degree and Date Awarded (if applicable). All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, Click Here.

Foreign Education: For information regarding foreign education requirements, please see Foreign Diploma and Credit Recognition at the U.S. Department of Education website: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications.

If you are selected for this position and qualified based on education (i.e. basic education requirement and/or substitution of education), you will be required to provide an OFFICIAL transcript prior to your first day on duty.

Additional information

In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 3307, a maximum entry age of 36 has been established for original appointment to a position in a Bureau of Prisons institution.   

The representative rate for this position is $88,418 per annum ($42.37 per hour).

Special Conditions of Employment Section:

Appointment is subject to satisfactory completion of a urinalysis, physical, and background investigation.  All applicants are subject to National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and credit checks.

The addresses listed on the USAJOBS account/resume must be the primary residence at the time of application.  You may be required to provide proof of residence.

Additional selections may be made if vacancies occur within the life of the certificate.

Although competitive and non-competitive applications are being accepted, the selecting official may elect to have only one group reviewed.

Current Federal Law Enforcement Employees:

A prerequisite of the secondary law enforcement position is the completion of the mandatory courses in "Introduction to Correctional Techniques Phase I and Phase II".  If you have not completed the mandatory courses in "Introduction to Correctional Techniques Phase I and Phase II", you are ineligible for secondary law enforcement position(s) and coverage but may still be considered for a non-law enforcement position.

If you are not a current Bureau of Prisons employee, you must submit training records demonstrating you have completed the mandatory courses in "Introduction to Correctional Techniques Phase I and Phase II" to your hiring Human Resource office prior to appointment. 

This is a secondary law enforcement coverage position. Individuals that DO NOT have three years of law enforcement coverage gained in a primary law enforcement position by the closing date of the vacancy announcement, will not be eligible for this position.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

  • your performance and conduct.
  • the needs and interests of the agency.
  • whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
  • whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary or trial period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Exceptions may apply. See 5 CFR part 11.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

If your composite score exceeds the average score for this job, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your online assessment responses and utilized to determine whether you meet the job qualifications listed in this announcement.  If your selections are not supported by your application materials, your responses may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this job. If you are found to be among the top candidates, you will be referred to the selecting official for employment consideration.

There are several parts of the application process that affect the overall evaluation of your application:

  • Your resume, which is part of your USAJOBS profile;
  • Your responses to the eligibility questions;
  • Your responses to the online assessment;
  • Your supporting documentation, if required.

Time-in-Grade: Federal employees must meet time-in-grade requirements for consideration. You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement.

What Competencies/Knowledge, Skills and Abilities are Required for this Position?

The following Competencies/Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSA's) are required:

  • Written communication.
  • Oral communication.
  • Customer Service.
  • Legal, Government and Jurisprudence.
  • Manages and Organize Information.

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